Cable Management – what you need to consider

What is cable management and why is it important?

Cable management involves the organisation, routing and protection of cables in industrial and commercial environments. Without a system, your cables can quickly become entangled, damaged, or worse, can cause accidents. Therefore, the proper management of cables is integral in ensuring that your workspace not only stays tidy and efficient, but also safe for those working in it.

Cable Management and Health and Safety

Thousands of workers are injured every year from slips, trips and falls, many of which are caused by trailing cables. They are the most common cause of injury at work and are also the most reported injury to members of the public. Employers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of themselves, their workforce and members of public that might come into close proximity of their workspace or site and can be heavily fined if they fail to do so. Fortunately, the solutions to preventing these types of hazards are simple and often low cost.

Potential Health and Safety hazards in a workplace or site can be identified with a Risk Assessment, which will also define the measures you will need to take in order to mitigate them and how you will guarantee these measures are upheld. Ensure that you are always staying up to date with guidelines and regulations, so you are fully compliant.

For example, it is recommended that all trailing cables on a construction site must be raised at a high level, particularly along corridors, where possible. If you cannot raise them, they need to be organised in a way that ensures they aren’t a trip hazard, for example using a cable ramp for those running along a floor. Additionally, the recently updated 18th Edition Wiring Regulations stipulate that you must take reasonable measures to ensure cables do not prematurely collapse in the event of a fire and subsequently cause a trip hazard. This can be solved by using metal fixings to supplement plastic means of raising cables.

Cable Management and Organisation

As well as for Health and Safety purposes, it’s important to implement a management system to keep your cables organised, not only for ease but also for the protection of your cables too. In environments where you have to route lots of cables, it pays to keep them organised so they can be easily identified and maintained.

There are several options for keeping your cables organised. For example, a colour coding or labelling system will allow you to easily identify the purpose of each cable. You can also manage cables by grouping them together and fastening them with cable ties so they are easier to access and handle.

By keeping your cables tidy and organised you will also protect them from damage, which is particularly important for data cables or cables that are vital for continuity of work. Other methods of protection are, for example, using braided sleeving to protect against heat and abrasion, using various conduits to protect against chemical, temperature or mechanical resistance, or using cable ducting for general mechanical and environmental protection.

Some cables will require separation from others to ensure their safety and also to make sure they are able to work efficiently. When planning the route of cables in a workspace, it must be taken into consideration whether circuits may be affected by electrostatic or electro-magnetic interference, both of which can stop the cable from working. Depending on the cable and the workplace, steps may need to be taken to prevent this from both a safety and functionality standpoint. Options to prevent this from happening include insulating cables, installing cables into separating trunking or conduit systems, or installing cables in trays with partitions that provide separation. For full information on the separation of cables we advise referring to relevant guidelines, such as the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations.

What type of cable management should I buy?

The cable management systems you should consider depend on the types of cables you are working with and the environment they are being used in. For example, the systems you’ll need to install permanent cables will differ to the ones you’ll use for temporary cables. Similarly, the systems you’ll use in an office environment may differ greatly to the ones you’d choose for a construction site.

There is a huge selection of products available, most of which are low cost, multi-purpose and also reusable. Below we’ll give a quick run-through of the most commonly used cable management systems in the construction industry:

Permanent Cable Management Solutions

Popular solutions for containing permanent cables are thosesuch as cable trays and baskets. They can be mounted on walls or suspended from ceilings to provide a safe route for cables to be installed in and around a building. They are designed in a way to make cables easily accessible after installation in case they need maintenance.

Snake Tray is a type of cable tray that has been designed to reduce the time it takes to install cable containment, therefore reducing overall cost. Made from strong, galvanised steel, Snake Trays are hand bendable meaning there is no need to purchase cable tray corners or hot works permits to cut out corners. It can also be fixed directly to walls or ceilings, without need for brackets, and can be suspended with just one drop rod, instead of the usual two needed for traditional cable trays, leading to much faster installation times. 


Temporary Cable Management Solutions

Temporary cables, such as those needed for equipment and lighting during construction, will benefit from having cable management solutions that are easy to install and remove. Hooks and hangers, which can be attached to walls, can raise cables at a safe height to prevent trips and falls. You can find them in a variety of colours and materials such as plastic and steel, which is important in order to comply with the new regulations on safety in a fire (see 18th Edition Wiring Regulations).

Tidi-Cable’s range of hooks and hangers are manufactured in the UK from strong, durable plastic and steel, and are available in a variety of designs to suit all your cable management needs. From those that can be screwed to walls, others that can be stuck to walls with adhesive, to those that can be affixed to metal surfaces with magnets, our range has it all. We also have products that are suitable for ceilings and open spaces.

This chart below gives examples of different cabling situations and the product(s) you can use to manage them:

 

Walls

Ceilings

Over-head*

Floors

Open Spaces

Tidi-Hook

 

 

 

 

Tidi-Hanger

 

 

 

Tidi-Patch

 

 

 

 

Tidi-Patch Magnetic

 

 

 

 

Tidi-Cable Stand

 

 

 

Cable Ramp

 

 

 

Snake Tray

 

 


*Over-head systems must be supplemented with metal fixings in accordance with the 18th Edition Wiring Regulations.

For our full range of cable management products click here.

About Us

Tidi-Cable offers a wide range of health and safety solutions ranging from trailing cable management, to PPE and fire safety supplies. Our high-quality products are suitable for construction, industrial and commercial workplaces. If you have any questions about our range, please contact info@tidi-cable.com